North Ferriby United chairman Les Hare will see his club at Wembley for a second time after their FA Trophy semi-final win
North Ferriby United chairman Les Hare hailed his club’s “unbelievable” performance in their FA Trophy semi-final second leg victory on penalties which propelled them to Wembley.
Vanarama North side Ferriby drew 1-1 after extra-time, 3-3 over two legs, with Bath City and Jason St Juste hammered home the decisive spot kick in the shootout.
The victory books a return visit to Wembley, 18 years after their FA Vase appearance, and they will play Wrexham later this month.
Mr Hare told Non League Yorkshire: “I think my heart stopped half an hour ago it’s just unbelievable.
“I have to say actually probably North Ferriby as a football club are probably the worst club I’ve seen actually take penalties, and today every single one has gone in.
“I thought we did enough to win it in the 90 minutes, but I don’t care how we’ve done it now.
“It’s just absolutely wonderful and I’m just so pleased for everybody connected with the football club.”
Mr Hare was also Ferriby chairman at their first ever visit to the old Wembley Stadium in 1997 and he admits he never expected to return there.
“I remember it very well I always said actually when we got there I would die a happy man, but now the opportunity to go there again to the new stadium.
“As somebody’s just told me keep English hopes alive as I’m told it’s Wrexham, so representing the country as well we’ll go down there and have a right good time.
“Well as far as hopes for the final is concerned with this group of players I don’t care what the status difference is between us and Wrexham.
“They’re a full-time professional club, at the end of the day they will know that they’ve been in a game and we will go and give it our best shot.”
The Villagers also had a record attendance of 1,871, a substantial increase from the club’s average attendance of around 350 and Mr Hare said: “Honestly I have to say actually on so many occasions said that there is an awful lot of interest to be generated through this football team and today the fans have been absolutely unbelievable.
“They’ve turned out in their massive numbers and they’ve come along and supported us and they certainly made the difference today.”